Tuesday, September 2, 2014

A repower of the
M/V Columbia ferry has been completed in Portland by Vigor Marine,
according to Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm
Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG).

EBDG, which has a
long history of assisting ferry operators with services such as transportation
studies, concept designs, capital budgets, security improvements and mid-life
refurbishments, provided design services and ongoing owner support services for
the M/V Columbia’s repower.

The
Columbia was designed by EBDG’s predecessor firm Lockheed
Shipbuilding, for the Alaska Marine Highway System, a ferry service operated by
the Alaska state government.

“We’re intimately
familiar with the vessel and its systems,” EBDG Project Manager Matt Williamson
said. “The main engines were at the end of their useful life and the AMHS opted
for replacing them, along with replacing or upgrading drive train components and
auxiliary systems where it made economic sense.”

Williamson said
that EBDG’s strong familiarity with the Columbia made his company
“the natural choice” as the designer for this repowering project.

The
Columbia has been the Alaska Marine Highway System’s flagship
vessel for nearly 40 years, linking a number of inside passage communities. The
418-foot vessel can accommodate 625 passengers and features two vehicle decks
with capacity for 134 vehicles.

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EDITORIAL

Pacific Maritime Magazine California Contributing Editor Karen Robes Meeks spent several years covering the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California for the Long Beach Press-Telegram and our sister publication Fishermen’s News.